She Finds Comment Extremely Curious

I am writing in response to Mike Penner’s June 19 article on women’s World Cup Soccer which ran on the Times front page Saturday, June 19. I was struck by Penner’s flippant reference to the 74,000-plus ticket-holders eagerly awaiting the first game of the tournament as “curiosity seekers.”

Am I to assume that thousands of ticket buyers are attending this event merely to sate their intrigue revolving around women playing sports? Am I also to assume that the gaggle of screaming girls cheering for Mia Hamm and other soccer icons are reacting out of pure inquisitiveness? How do these spectators differ from other groups of cheering individuals, commonly known as “sports fans”?

Employing a clumsy turn of phrase such as this in a seemingly innocuous news article can perpetuate harmful stereotypical generalizations, which are not only insulting, but also untrue.

HEATHER WATERMAN, Los Angeles